Closer
by Goddess247
Summary: Over the years things change. Shauna was a small scared girl when she first met the Mercer Brothers. Now, seven years later, she's...well, chenged.
1. Chapter 1: Before

Closer

Chapter 1 – Before

When Shauna first came to the neighborhood she was only eleven. The same age as one of the boys who lived in the house three houses down the street. Jack Mercer. One of four adopted children of Evelyn Mercer.

Angel, who was four years older, a dark-skinned boy with an attitude of a real ass, especially when it came to alcohol and women. Yeah, at his fifteen he was a true lover boy, a saint who was too far from heaven.

Then there was Jerry. Jeremiah Mercer. He was seventeen at that time. Jerry has always been his mother's refuge. Always the smart one, always the good one, the intelligent head. He was dating a girl, Camille, the-next-door type of girl.

And Bobby. The infamous Bobby Mercer. Handsome, dangerous and…overprotective. The oldest, he was nineteen; he was always overprotective about Jack and me of all after I've come to be kind of a family to them. Bobby…bad news, that's what everybody called him.

Shauna Silvery came to the town one cold winter night with her stepparents Jackson and Rita who abused her (as the Mercers would find out later).

"Hi!" Evelyn greeted as she saw the newcomers bring the boxes into the house when she was getting home from the grocery shop.

"Hello." The dark-haired woman in her early thirties. She was holding a box in her hand with some heavy stuff.

"I'm Evelyn Mercer, live a couple houses down there." And she showed at the iced street in front of her.

"I'm Dana Silvery and this is…" She pointed at the small girl on the bottom of the stairs with her head. "Shauna, my step-daughter."

"Well, hello there!" The white-haired woman said kindly.

Shauna looked at the ground shyly, her short dark hair floating in the wind.

"Hello." She looked up to show her bright blue eyes.

"Oh, I have a son your age. You can come meet him if you want." Evelyn smiled.

"Oh, she shouldn't be a burden for you." Rita argued.

"Don't be silly!"

"Well she can be." The woman said sarcastically.

Evelyn was silent for a couple minuets:

"Well, if you'll need a place to leave her for some time while you're at work or something, she's always welcome at my place."

"Ok, thanks." Rita answered.

Than she pushed the box into Shauna's hands rather rudely so the girl almost fell from her feet. Evelyn didn't say anything but she saw the pleading look in the small girl's eyes.

"What? Can't you take it upstairs!" She heard from behind Rita's angry voice.

But Shauna met the Mercers only two weeks later when Rita called Evelyn and asked her to look after the girl for a couple hours while she's not home and Jackson's away on business trip.

Shauna showing up at the Mercers' household turned its life upside down. The boys adored her. In a matter of weeks she became Jack's best friend, Jerry's student (he liked tutoring her in math), Angel's partner in crime (pranks to be exact) and Bobby's favorite.

That's strange how Bobby's heart, closed for almost every single person on the planet, formed a bond with a little girl's one.

It was seven days before her twelfth that it happened.

There was a soft knock on the door no one would've heard if Angel wasn't standing near the door.

"I'll take it." He said to no one in particular.

The second the door was opened the almost limp body of Shauna's fell through it.

"Jesus!" Angel cried and fell on the knees in front of her. "Bobby! Jack!"

"What the fuck are you screaming for?" Bobby, still looking sleepy, walked into the hallway and that same second was on his knees as well. "What Happened? Sha…"

She didn't move. Bobby didn't give it second thought picked a fragile girl up and took her to the guest room, Angel trailing after him with wide eyes and still shaking hands.

"Call Ma! Tell her it's Sha!" Bobby screamed at him.

Angel looked at him strangely but then swept out of the trance. "Ok…"

"Hold on, Sha, hold on…" Bobby whispered to a girl whose lip was sliced and there were bruisers all over her face. He put a loose strand of hair behind her ear but she didn't stir.

When Evelyn was treating Shauna, Bobby and Angel were pacing in the living room; Jack fell asleep there on a couch.

"It's this Jackson bustard! I know it's him!" Bobby said angrily.

"Asshole." Angel took a sit on the edge of a coffee-table.

"I'm gonna kill him." The uncontrollable rage could be seen in his eyes.

"I'll help you with that." His brother whispered.

"How's she?" They both were on there feet when Mo came down the stairs.

"Bad, actually." She started quietly. "A poor girl's got a cracked rib, bruisers all over her body, sliced lip."

"Jackson did it, didn't he?" The oldest son looked straight in her mother's eyes.

"I don't know, hon…" But she did.

"Don't, Ma. You know it was him!" He was gone in a blink of an eye.

"Bobby!" Evelyn cried after him but it was Bobby, he wouldn't stop. "Angel!"

And he fallowed suit. Evelyn looked at the floor then carefully put a pillow under Jack's head and went back to Shauna.

No one knew what really happened that night but at 11:30 p.m. the Silvery house went on fire and Jackson who was drunk asleep in front of the TV stayed there forever. No one questioned Bobby's actions. No one ever said anything.

Shauna was of course told that everything was an accident. But as the weeks passed Rita never came back from her business trip and, regarding as Jackson was no longer around, Shauna stayed at Mercers' for good. Well, she used to spend most of her time there anyway and the boys bagged her to move so everyone was pretty happy with the way things were.

At fourteen Shauna had three big brothers that would do anything for her, a fairy (who was also her best friend) and loving Aunty Evy. For the first time in her life she didn't want anything else.

But the day came. The worst day of her entire life. It's strange and unfair how everything can change so drastically in a blink of an eye. The day Bobby left. He was saying something among the lines of leaving to Chicago but no one actually believed he would.

He did.

And he did it in such a coward way. The car took off at night when everyone was asleep or out. Bobby was never good with words so he decided not to use them.

Afterwards, after having cried her eyes out, Shauna would remember that some time ago when she and the oldest of the Mercer brothers were lying on the couch, watching TV, and Jerry came by and was fixing something to eat on the kitchen, Bobby told her:

"Listen, kid, if I ever have ta leave you, you just remember to look under the bathroom, ok?"

Shauna would laugh at it but still say 'yes'.

Two days after he'd left she would go to his bathroom (he was sharing with Angel) and search for something under the tub. The latter.

'So…he has words…" Shauna would think.

But it all happened a long time ago. Three and a half years ago to be exact.

Everything's changed since then…

TBC


	2. Chapter 2: Back to Ma's

Closer

Chapter 2 – Back to Ma's

Twenty-five-year-old Bobby entered his Ma's house in Detroit.

"Hay! Anybody's home?" It was almost midnight.

"Bobby?" Angel ran out of the kitchen, Sofi on his heels. "Bobby!"

"It's great to see you, Man!" The brothers hugged.

"You too! Jeez, we haven't seen each other in what? Three, four years?" Angel still had his hand on Bobby's shoulder.

"I think about four!" Then he turned to acknowledge Sori. "La Vida Loca."

"Bobby." She answered back sarcastically.

"Who is it?" The three of them heard Jack and next moment he was in the doorway. "Wow, Bro! Is that really you?"

"Hey, Fairy!" He the youngest Mercer a bear hug.

"I'll go cook something." Sofi said and vanished.

"Where's Ma?" Bobby asked when he and the brothers made it into the TV-room.

"Asleep." Angel chuckled. "It's almost twelve on Saturday night."

"Yeah, of course. And Sha? Where's our little girl?"

"She's working today, man. And it's your turn to get her by the way." Angel told the last bit to Jack.

"I know, I'm going in fifteen minuets."

"What?" Bobby looked around, confused. "What work? It's night. And what did you mean by 'get her'?"

"Our Sha works in a night club. And you know, bro, she's not so little now and lots of men see it, so one of us go bring her home when's her shift." Jack explained while Angel nodded.

"Sha works in a night club! What's wrong with the picture?" Bobby asked sarcastically.

"Come on, you can go with me. See where she works. I bet she'll be glad to see ya." Offered Jack.

"Go get the jacket, Cracker Boy." Bobby ordered and when Jack was gone he turned to his other brother. "Did you let this happened?"

"What could I do?" Angel shrugged. "She's a big girl now, Bobby. Plus Jack and I and Jerry are always there for her if she needs us. I love her and think she deserves that space we give her."

"You know what I think?" Bobby reloaded a gun and put it in his coat. "I think you spend too much time with Sofi."

"I think you should've showed up here a bit more for the last four years to have a word in it, bro." The black male said quietly but with the determination in his voice.

The dark expression shadowed Bobby's face but he didn't say anything for deep down inside he knew he's brother was right.

Jack showed up in the doorway (something he did occasionally that day) and Bobby followed him to the car.

Embargo, one of the biggest and most famous clubs in Detroit, was fully packed with people. Bobby and Jack entered the same moment the girls started dancing with the sticks. Brothers made their way to the bar.

"T!" Jack called for a pretty shorthaired redhead who was pouring someone a Jack Daniels. "Tess!"

"Oh, hey, Jackie, what's up?" She came up after handing the drink to a customer.

"Where's Sha?"

"It's 12:15 already. My shift for fifteen minuets. She's probably somewhere on the dance floor with Kit." Tess said, mixing B-52.

"The dance floor?" Sarcastic remark from Bobby.

"She's almost eighteen, man!" Jack took a sip of whisky.

"Ok, you go search for her there." Bobby pointed at the dancing crowd behind the bar. "I'll look here."

As Jack disappeared in the crowd Bobby started looking for Shauna. He searched through the dancing people but instead of finding Sha they stopped on a beautiful slim woman about twenty with waist-length blonde hair. As she was dancing in her short khaki skirt and black tank-top, the dragon tattoo could be seen on her lower back trailing it's way down. It seemed that almost every men's eye in the room. As she was moving her hips to the music everyone was watching her. Maybe it was just Bobby but God! he wanted her.

Then he saw some guy grab her hip while she tried to put it away. When it didn't work Bobby decided to go help her.

"Hey! The Lady doesn't seem to like your hands all around her." He said through the music, grabbing the collar of the guy's short.

"I don't see how that is your business!" He said in a bossy way.

Bobby produced a chuckle and hit the other guy right in the eye. As he was lying on the floor Bobby came up to the blonde:

"You ok?"

"Yeah…" A fragile girl said. "Thanks."

"Oh, you found her!" Jack appeared from nowhere. "Hey!"

"Hey, hon!" She hugged Jack and kissed his cheek.

"You wanna introduce us?" Bobby interrupted.

Jack gave him a funny look:

"What? It's Shauna!"

The smile faded from Bobby's face that same minuet. She was confused for some time as well:

"Bobby?"

"Hey, Shauna." He whispered after the first wave of shock vanished.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3: Wondering Thoughts

Closer

Chapter 3 – Wondering Thoughts

"You are so not going back there!" Bobby screamed, entering the house.

"Yeah! Who's gonner stop me? You?" Shauna screamed back, taking the coat off.

"As a matter of fact, yes!" He screamed, following her to the kitchen where Angel and Sofi were.

"What's going on?" Angel asked Jack who entered after the screaming ones but Sha answered for him:

"Apparently Bobby thinks that the fact that he once, four or five years ago, helped me with my life makes him the owner of it!"

"Oh, so he forbids you to work?" Angel smirked.

"Exactly!" Shauna screamed again. "Oh, sorry, kits! Hey…"

She kissed Angel on a cheek and then Sofi.

"I hope you're planning to kill him for that. Please, tell me you do!" The other girl put an arm around her younger friend's waist.

"Yeah, maybe later. I'm tired. Goodnight everyone!" Shauna said as she made her way upstairs and heard a chore of "G'night's" in return. "Except for you, Bobby!"

"What?" He made a pained face, looking at his siblings.

"I think she said something among the line of except for yo…" Jack started but was rudely interrupted by Bobby:

"I know what she said! That's it! We're gonner talk about it tomorrow!" He went into the direction of the living room to go up the stairs.

"This guy's got some serious issues." Sofi concluded as Angel took her hand.

Angel and Jack looked at each other at that.

"Can't help but agree." Chuckled Jack.

Shauna was angry. No, she was more then angry. She was frustrated and if she wasn't that tired she would have started throwing things. The blonde actually had that urge when she saw the vase in the hall on the second floor. Who Bobby thought he was? Showing up after four years and really thinking that he had a word in her life? No. No. And No.

Oh, she needed a shower!

Bobby went upstairs angry as hell. This girl thought she was the smartest? Working in a nightclub? Strolling the dangerous streets of night Detroit? She was too…hot…for that. God, how could he think about Shauna that way?

He was passing the bathroom with the lights on. What? Everything changed that much? They don't even turn the light off?

Bobby was just about to turn it off when he heard…singing. A soft voice that would be ringing in his head a long after that evening. He opened the door a bit more and as much as he tried to tear the eyes away of the figure behind the see-through curtain he couldn't do it.

"You know, you can stop staring." He heard from behind and turned to see Sofi, smirking,

"I wasn't staring…" He tried after closing the door.

"Right…" The Latino rolled her eyes. "So you use that look pretty often then?"

"Shut up, Sofi."

"Let me give a piece of advice." She continued as he rolled his eyes just as she did seconds ago. "Don't use it if you don't like it. Listen…I care for Shauna a lot. And I wouldn't like to see her hurt…"

"Neither would I."

"Well, then stay away from her." And Sofi made her way to Angel's room.

"It's easy to say…" Bobby whispered under his breath as the dragon tattoo danced in his mind…


	4. Chapter 4: In the Kitchen

Closer

Chapter 4 – In the Kitchen

As Bobby and Shauna were standing only an inch apart, their lips almost touching, the girl felt her heart stop and…

…next moment she opened her eyes.

"Huh…" The blonde put a hand on the chest to steady her breath, she looked at the clock on the nightstand.

4:26

Not wanting to go back to the dream she's just had, she stood up and, grabbing an old man's dress-shirt with buttons, went downstairs.

Entering the kitchen she wondered if she should turn the lights on and the last moment decided against it and only lit two candles.

"Can't sleep?"

"Ah!" Shauna shouted as the flame from the lighter slid on her finger. "Fuck!"

Bobby jumped from his sit and next moment was in front of the whimpering blond who was holding her burned hand close to her chest.

"Let me see." He ordered.

Shauna's eyes expressed surprise for the determination of his voice did that to her and she extended a shaking hand. The finger was red.

"Hmm…" Producing a harsh sound, Bobby led her to the sink, applying cold water to the wound.

"Ah…" Shauna murmured as the water collided with the red of the skin.

"Hurts?" Bobby asked, still holding her hand in the water, his voice low.

The young woman nodded:

"Thanks to you."

Bobby chuckled:

"You never change…"

"That's where you're wrong." Shauna took her hand back forcefully. "I've changed, Bobby. I'm a grown up now. Unlike yourself."

"Are you really? So working in a nightclub, strolling through Detroit streets at night. Which of this remind you of adulthood?" He raised his voice.

"What's wrong with that?" Shauna snapped back but the man in front of her didn't have a chance to answer. "And you? You left, Bobby. You just ran away. You were here and next moment you were gone without a trace. No sign of where you were going, no phone calls, no cards for Christmas or birthday. You left your mother, for God's sake! You left your brothers. Did you know that Sofi had abortion two times because Angel was not ready to be a father? Did you know that Jack was using for some time? Did you even know that Jeremiah got shot? Did you? No! No, because you left us, you left you family! You left me…even though you promised you'd always be there for me…but you weren't. It may sound selfish, I know, but…so many times I needed your help those years everyone was here for me. That is, everyone but you…"

Bobby didn't know what to say. All she said was true and he couldn't deny that even though he wanted to.

"I…" He finally whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Well, sorry isn't enough anymore, Bobby." She turned to the med box on the windowsill and took out a small bottle. "I'm going to bed."

Next second she was going up the stairs, having left Bobby Mercer, a man with a heart almost cold as stone (became that way with the years), speechless and distressed, with a realization heavy in his heart…


End file.
